Airplane radiator



A. L. THURSTON AIRPLANE RADIATOR Filed May 16. 1921 Q2 5 m 0911 few ARTHUR L .THURjTOH. fl fl-towl-c t Patented Nov. 29, 1927.

STATES inset-ts- PATENT ARTHUR L. THURSTON, or rnnnronr, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- mnnrs, T0 CURTISS AEROPI-ANE AND moron COMPANY, me, or GARDEN CITY, NEW xonx, A oonrona'rron or new YORK.

AIRPLANE RADIATOR.

Application filed May 16, 1921. Serial No. 470,186.

This invention relates to radiators for airplanes and is characterized in that the cells or water passages of the radiator are so arranged upon the structural framework of an element of the airplane as to provide therefor a covering. More particularly the invention relates to wing type radiators, i. e., radiators in which the cells or water passages are so organized and related one to the other as to provide a hollow shell of wing profile through the hollow of which the airplane wing is adapted to extend.

Several forms of wing type radiator have heretofore been proposed. Noone, however, in so far as I am aware, has succeeded in perfecting a wing type radiator in which ample provision is made for coolin the liquid agent without adding materially to the head resistance of the wing or lessening its lift co-eflicient. Experimentshave been conducted with radiators involving the use of flat plates between which the cooling agent is circulated in the form of a thin sheet or film. Wing type radiators have also been proposed in which the cooling agent is circulated thru cells cooled by the passage of air thereover. The former type of radiator is inefficient and impractical (when constructed as a wing type radiator) due to the necessarily large area required to cool the cooling agent whereas the latter form is inefiicient because of the decrease in lift and increased resistance resulting from the passage of the air thru the wing. For efficiency in cooling, however, the latter form of radiator, i. e. cellular, is preferred. Accordingly the radiator herein disclosed is cellular (in that a plurality, of water passages are provided) and at the'same time is so organized and arranged as to oifer a minimum of resistance; is light compared to former types of radiators; is constructed as a composite part of the airplane wing, (it may be constructed as a covering for or composite part of an element of the airplane other than the wing) and its construction is such that the lift of the wing is in no way impaired. Thus characterized the radiator of the present invention' may be said to offer practically no resistance whatsoever in and of itself and may be embodied in an airplane structure without requiring a deformation of any part thereof.

In the drawings, wherein like characters Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. i

3, and Fig. 1s a fragmentary sectional view illustratmg a slight modification.

In the embodiment of the invention selected for illustration, the radiator is shown as comprising separate radiator sections, each section of which is designated in its entirety as 10. Preferably, though not necessarily the sections 10 are arranged on opposite sides of the fuselage or body 11 of the a1rplane and are constructed as a composite part of the wings 12 which, in the embodiment shown, extend out right and left from the fuselage 11 and constitute the 3 lower wings of a biplane structure. The. uppenwin s (but one of which is illustrated, see Fig. 2 are designated as 13, and the power plant, of which the radiator is an accessory, is designated as 14 and is enclosed in the forward end of the body in such manner that the streamline contour of the body is in no way destroyed.

The wings of the airplane may be of any conventional construction and maybe either internally or externally trussed since the construction of the radiator is such that the internal structure of the wing may be of any character desired. In Fig. 4 wing beams 15 and 16 are shown which, together with ribs 17 constitute a skeleton framework over which the covering for the wing is drawn. Except in the vicinity of the fuselage, where the wing covering is formed .by the radiator sections 10, any character of covering such as fabric or veneer may be used.

The radiator sections 10 are identical in construction. Each comprises a forward header 18 and a rear header 19, the former being incorporated in the wing structure adjacent to the leading edge and, if desired, may supplant the nose strip of the wing thruout that portion of the length of the wing constructed as a radiator section. The rear header 19 may supplant the trailin edge strip of the wing t ough in the embo ment illustrated the header 19 is shown fastened against the rear face of the rear wmg beam 16.

To provide for the circulation of the cooling fluid from one to the other of the headers of the radiator, a plurality of radiator cells or water passages 20 are so arranged upon the outer surfaces of the wing structure as to join the headers, the cells or water passages 20 bein preferably arranged in parallehsm and so is osed as to provlde an imperforate covering or a given ortion of the win In constructing the ce'ls a flat plate 21 1s fastened to the wing framework and a corrugated plate 22 is fastened on the outside face of the fiat plate 21. The corrugations formed in the plate 22 extend in a fore and aft direction and are provided upon both surfaces of the wing. At their forward ends the cells or water passages 20 are open to the header 18 as at 23 and at their rear ends are open to the header 19 as at 24. Thus organized the cooling agent is free to circulate uniformly from one to the other of the headers thru the total number of cells or water passages and durin such circulation is properly cooled to 0 er the desired cooling effect on the motor.

In Fig. 2the connections between the ra-- diator sections 20 are designated as 25 and the connections between the radiator sections and the motor 14 are designated as 26. The total number of connections are confined to the interior of the fuselage and are thus entirely removed, as are the headers, from the line of air rush incident to flight.

A radiator thus constructed provides ample exposed area for coolin purposes and at the same time, since the ce s are arranged side by side, affords a suitable imperforate covering for the wing. The head resistance which a radiator thus constructed offers is negligible and its constructlon exceptionally light. Moreover, there is no decrease whatsoever in the lift of the wing since the air in reacting on the wing surface is prevented from assing thru the wing.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 5 the corrugated plates 22 are duplicated on the inner faces of the flat plates 21 and openings 27 are formed in the leading and trailing edges respectively of the wing to provide for the circulation of air over the inside corrugations or cells. Such an arrangement may be under certain condltions desirable since the area of the radiator can be proper tionally decreased.

In accordance with the patent statutes I have set forth in the s ecific manner requiredthereby one comp ete embodiment of my invention, but it is understood that this is only for illustrative purposes and that the invention is capable of assuming other forms than that illustrated and that the claims hereto annexed are not to be limited to the specific devices illustrated, except as is s ecifically recited therein. Obviously, if esired, the radiator may be given a shape in cross-section other than that of an airplane wing, and may be, if desired, so constructed as to provide an outer covering or hollow shell t rough which a structural element of the airplane, other than the wing (the fuselage for instance) is adapted to be extended.

What is claimed is 1. In an airplane, the combination with an airplane wing and a motor, of a radiator for cooling the motor comprising a plurality of radiator cells so organized and related one to the other as to provide separate skin-like cover sections fastened respectively against the upper and lower surfaces of the win 2. In an airplane, the combination wit an airplane wing and a motor, of a radiator for cooling the motor comprisin a lurality of radiator cells so organized an re ated one to the other as to provide a hollow shell of wing profile through the hollow of which the airplane wing is adapted to extend.

3. In an airplane, the combination with an airplane wing and a motor of a radiator for coo ing the motor comprising a hollow shell of wing profile, the walls of the shell being of cellular construction for the urpose of providing for the circulation of a cooling agent therethrough, said shell in its relation to the airplane wing being such that the latter is adapted to pass therethrough without a break in its continuity.

4. In an airplane, the combination with an airplane wing and a motor, of a radiator for cooling the motor comprising a plurality of radiator cells so organized and related one to the other as to provide a radiator of wing profile and of hollow section, the shape of the hollow of the radiator being such that that portion of the airplane win which is adapted to provide its support is adapted also to extend through the hollow of the radiator without a break in its continuity.

5. A wing type radiator for airplanes comprising a cellular structure of wing profile, the structure in cross-section being hollow, whereby the airplane wing, u on which the radiator is mounted, is adapte to pass uninterruptedly through it, the cells collectively providing both a top and bottom covering for at least a portion of the wing.

6. In an airplane, the combination of an airplane wing and a motor, of a radiator for coo ing the motor com rising a plurality of radiator cells arrange in parallelism m a fore and aft direction, the cells collectively affording a hollow shell through which the airplane wing is adapted to extend uninterruptedly.

. A wing type radiator for airplanes including flat plates fastened respectively against 0 posite sides of the wing framework, aml corrugated lates fastened upon the outer face of the at plates, the plates jointly providing a plurality of radiator cells and at the same time constituting the wing covering.

8. A wing type radiator for airplanes comprising a cellular structure of hollow section and through the hollow of which the airplane wing is adapted to extend substantially uninterruptedly, said wing in the vicinity of the radiator being provided with openings whereby a circulation of air "within the hollow of the shell is obtainable.

9. In an airplane, the combination with an airplanewing and a motor, of a radiator for cooling the motor, comprising a plurality of radiator cells so organized and related one to the other as to provide a hollow shell of wing profile through the hollow of which the airplane wing is adapted to extend, said wing in the vicinity of the radiator being provided with openings whereby a free circulation of air within the hollow shell is permitted.

10. In an airplane, the combination with the motor, of a radiator for coolin the motor comprising a plurality of ra iator cells extended in the direction of the air flow over the radiator so organized and related one to the other as to provide a hollow shell through the hollow of which a structural element of the airplane is adapted to extend substantially uninterruptedly, said hollow shell in its relation to said structural element being such that a bodily removable outer covering for the structural element is provided.

11. In an airplane, the combination with the motor, of aradiator for cooling the motor comprising a plurality of radiator cells so organized and related one to the other as to provide a hollow shell through the hollow of which a structural element of the airplane is adapted to extend, said hollow shell being bodily removable and when in place upon the structural element of the airplane providing its support, being so related thereto as to provide therefor an outer covering impervious to air.

12. In an airplane, a radiator of aerofoil shape, having radiator tubes extending along the upper and lower surfaces thereof, and connections for introducing fluid into and leading it from the radiator.

13. In an airplane, a radiator shaped to serve as a sustaining member, formed in sections adapted to be removably secured together, each section having a compartment at its leading and trailing edges and tubes extending along the upper and lower surfaces of the section connecting said compartments to ether and means for introducing fluid to all of the compartments at one edge and leading fluid from all of the compartments at the other edge.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

ARTHUR L. THURSTON. 

